This invention relates to household icemakers and more particularly to icemakers having a tray including multiple compartments filled by introducing water into a single compartment which overflows into adjacent compartments to fill compartments to similar levels.
Refrigerators with icemakers are a popular consumer item, and most side-by-side refrigerator/freezers have icemakers installed as standard items. In a typical refrigerator/freezer with an icemaker, water is introduced into ice forming compartments in an ice tray and allowed to freeze to form ice cubes. Some typical icemakers have six separate compartments while some others have seven. The depth and shape of the compartment may vary between manufacturers, but the ice trays currently utilized by most icemaker manufactures are quite similar. Such ice trays 2020 generally include crescent-shaped compartments 2066 with an opening or weir 2090 between each compartment 2066 to allow the water to flow and fill evenly at the beginning of the ice making process, as shown, for example, in FIG. 23. Most icemaker trays are manufactured in a casting process.
Typically, water is allowed to flow into the ice tray 2020 until each of the compartments 2066 is filled to a desired level. The water is then allowed to stand in the tray 2020 until it freezes. After freezing, an ejector arm rotates so that a separate finger extends into each compartment 2066 to urge the ice formed therein to be ejected. After ejecting the ice, the ejector arm in typical icemakers returns to a position wherein each of the fingers is disposed completely outside of the compartment 2066 during the next filling and freezing cycle.
Traditional ice compartment designs contain a slot or weir 2090 between each compartment to allow the water level to be evenly distributed. This method has been widely used in the process of automatic icemakers in home refrigerator/freezers. The result of this method produces an ice bridge or web between the individual ice cubes. It would be desirable to eliminate this bridge or web between ice cubes to form discrete ice cubes.
Icemakers have a series of compartments in an ice tray that are filled with water. As the water cools, it begins to freeze. The traditional method of evenly filling the water into each compartment of the ice tray 2020 has been to provide a slot 2090 formed in a dividing wall 2080 between compartments 2066 that allows the water to move freely between the compartments 2066. Sufficient water is provided to the tray 2020 to allow the water level in each compartment 2066 to be higher than the bottom of the slot 2090 so that gravity can cause the water to level out. During freezing the water remaining in the slots 2090 after filling the compartments 2066 forms a web or bridge between cubes formed in each compartment 2066. After the cubes are frozen, the ejector arm is rotated so that a finger extends into each compartment 2066 to urge the cube formed therein out of the ice compartment 2066.
Typically, the slot 2090 for water distribution is formed on the ejection side of the compartment 2066 so that the ice bridge need not be broken during ice cube ejection. Nevertheless, the ejector arm often breaks the web or bridge between cubes during the ejection process forming ice chips that can induce the ice cubes to fuse together in the ice bin. Also, remnants of the web or bridge typically remain on the cube forming a less aesthetically pleasing cube.
It would be desirable to eliminate the web or bridge between ice cubes formed in an automatic icemaker. The elimination of the web or bridge would provide more aesthetically pleasing ice cubes. Additionally, the elimination of the web or bridge may reduce the force that the fingers of the ejector arm are subjected to during ejection of the ice cubes as the ejector arm. Elimination of the ice bridge would also reduce the amount of ice chips formed during the ejection process reducing the tendency of the ice cubes to fuse together in the bin.
This disclosure proposes methods for eliminating the bridge between ice cubes and discloses ice trays, ejectors and controllers that cooperate to eliminate an ice bridge or web between cubes formed in the ice tray.
According to one aspect of the disclosure a method of making ice comprises the steps of advancing water into an ice tray of an icemaker assembly and positioning displacement members within a plurality of ice forming compartments of the ice tray, moving the displacement members out of the plurality of ice forming compartments, reducing the temperature of the water within the ice tray and moving the displacement members. The advancing water into an ice tray of an icemaker assembly step and positioning displacement members within a plurality of ice forming compartments of the ice tray step are performed so that for a period of time both the water and the displacement members are simultaneously located within the plurality of ice forming compartments. The moving the displacement members out of the plurality of ice forming compartments step is performed after the period of time. The reducing the temperature of the water within the ice tray step is performed so as to cause the water located within the plurality of ice forming compartments to become a plurality of discrete ice cubes while the displacement members are located out of the plurality of ice forming compartments. The moving the displacement members step moves the displacement members into contact with the plurality of discrete ice cubes so that the plurality of ice cubes are urged out of the plurality of ice forming compartments.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of making ice comprises an advancing step, a positioning step, a moving step, a reducing step and a moving step. The advancing step includes advancing a quantity of water to an ice tray so that the quantity of water is unevenly distributed among a plurality of ice forming compartments of the ice tray. The positioning step includes positioning displacement members within the plurality of ice forming compartments so that a part of the quantity of water is caused to advance from a first number of the plurality of ice forming compartments to a second number of the plurality of ice forming compartments. The moving step includes moving the displacement members out of the plurality of ice forming compartments after the period of time. The reducing step includes reducing the temperature of the water within the ice tray so as to cause the water located within the plurality of ice forming compartments to become a plurality of discrete ice cubes while the displacement members are located out of the plurality of ice forming compartments. The moving step includes moving the displacement members into contact with the plurality of discrete ice cubes so that the plurality of ice cubes are urged out of the plurality of ice forming compartments.
According to still another aspect of the disclosure, a method of filling an ice tray with a quantity of water comprises an advancing step and a positioning step. The advancing step includes advancing the quantity of water to the ice tray so that the quantity of water is unevenly distributed among a plurality of ice forming compartments of the ice tray. The positioning step includes positioning displacement members within the plurality of ice forming compartments so that a part of the quantity of water is caused to advance from a first number of the plurality of ice forming compartments to a second number of the plurality of ice forming compartments.
According still yet another aspect of the disclosure a method of filling an ice tray with a quantity of water, the ice tray having at least (i) a first ice forming compartment defining a first space, (ii) a second ice forming compartment defining a second space, and (iii) a partition member interposed between the first space and the second space is provided. The method comprises a positioning step and an advancing step. The positioning step includes positioning a first displacement member in the first space and a second displacement member in the second space. The advancing step includes advancing the quantity of water within the ice tray. The water level of the quantity of water located within the ice tray is vertically above at least a part of a top edge of the partition when (i) the first displacement member is positioned in the first space, and (ii) the second displacement member is positioned in the second space. The water level of the quantity of water located in said ice tray is vertically below the entire top edge of the partition when (i) the first displacement member is spaced apart from the first space, and (ii) the second displacement member is spaced apart from the second space.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, an icemaker assembly comprises an ice tray and an ice ejector. The ice tray has at least (i) a first ice forming compartment defining a first space, and (ii) a second ice forming compartment defining a second space. The ice ejector is positionable at a first position and a second position. The ice ejector has at least (i) a first ejector member, and (ii) a second ejector member. When the ice ejector is positioned at the first position, (i) the first ejector member is positioned in the first space and in contact with a first quantity of water, (ii) the second ejector member is positioned in the second space and in contact with a second quantity of water, and (iii) the first quantity of water is positioned in fluid communication with the second quantity of water. When the ice ejector is positioned at the second position, (i) the first ejector member is spaced apart from both the first space and the first quantity of water, (ii) the second ejector member is spaced apart from both the second space and the second quantity of water, and (iii) the first quantity of water is isolated from fluid communication with the second quantity of water.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.